One of the most prevalent and devastating failure modes for portable communications devices (e.g., “smartphones” or high function cellular phones) is cracking of the main lens of the device when the device is dropped or struck. The main lens is typically fabricated from glass, and the cracked glass causes both cosmetic and safety problems. Moreover, for designs wherein the device touchscreen is part of the glass lens assembly, a cracked lens may result in an unusable device.
While a cracked lens may be replaceable in some cases, lens replacement is one of the most expensive repairs available for portable communication devices. This is because the lens is almost always laminated to the display module with an optically clear glue. Indeed, aftermarket industries for cases and lens covers are thriving primarily because they help users avoid cracking their main lenses. While a lens cover does offer some degree of protection, such covers are primarily manufactured of a plastic material and frequently obscure the clarity of the display. Lens covers may also cause functional issues with device proximity or light sensors, and may affect the quality of pictures taken with the device's front facing imager.
Glass lens covers can improve image clarity relative to plastic covers, but must be made considerably thicker than plastic covers for manufacturability. This thickness can lead to reduced touchscreen sensitivity due to the increased distance between the user's finger and the touch sensor. Glass lens liners also scratch easily since they reside on top of the device's lens.
While the present disclosure is directed to a system that can eliminate certain shortcomings discussed in this Background section, it should be appreciated that such a benefit is neither a limitation on the scope of the disclosed principles nor of the attached claims, except to the extent expressly noted in the claims. Additionally, the discussion of technology in this Background section is reflective of the inventors' own observations, considerations, and thoughts, and is in no way intended to accurately catalog or comprehensively summarize the art in the public domain.
As such, the inventors expressly disclaim this section as admitted or assumed prior art with respect to the discussed details. Moreover, the identification herein of a desirable course of action reflects the inventors' own observations and ideas, and should not be assumed to indicate an art-recognized desirability.